Mercedes-Benz EQE Singapore Review - EQE 350+ AMG Line 90.6kWh (A)

The Mercedes-Benz EQE 350+ AMG Line is the latest Mercedes-Benz to be launched as part of the Mercedes EQ range of electric cars. In terms of trim level, the 350+ AMG Line slots in beneath the EQE 43 4MATIC, which features dual electric motors over the front and rear axles for an all wheel drive experience, while the 350+ AMG Line comes equipped with a single motor that drives the rear wheels.. Styled like the larger EQS sedan in the range, the EQE is equipped with a large cargo area, and offers a plush and comfortable ride.

Following a slew of new Mercedes EQ launches in the past year that has seen Mercedes-Benz launch the EQC, EQA, EQB, and the EQS, we finally come to the EQE, which slots in below the flagship EQS. For all intents and purposes, the EQE serves as the electric version of the petrol powered E-Class, though the EQE isn't retrofitted from an E-Class. Instead, it actually looks almost identical to the larger EQS, save for a shorter overall frame and a visually taller stance.

If we forget for a moment that the EQE has been Russian dolled from the EQS, the car is rather cool. It is futuristic and modern, with a sleekness and cool factor that should appeal quite readily to consumers who might have previously found the E-Class a little too serious for their liking. The general demeanour is imposing, and the large curvy hips on the car give it a premium feel - much like a well fed and well-endowed aristocrat. Simply put, the EQE possesses an air of class that is not quite easily found, even among its peers and competitors. Fortunately or unfortunately, I also seem to be describing the EQS, for its visual similarities are many - to the extent that it is honestly quite hard to tell the EQE apart from the EQS unless the two were parked side by side. For EQE segment buyers, this is a huge plus - but one might forgive an EQS buyer for being slightly resentful toward these similarities.

Inside, it is much of the same story, and the EQE gets an almost identical swooping dashboard and MBUX infotainment setup as what you'd find on the EQS. What caught our attention though, was the wood trimmed dash panelling on the EQE which we did not see on the EQS - something which I felt really elevated the stature of the car, and brought about a wow factor to the EQE's interior. Though armed with lesser legroom in the rear, the EQE is still plenty generous in this department, and offers rear passengers an unprecedented level of comfort and luxury that is outgunned only by its big brother. Other similarly priced EVs are also well furnished and premium, but there is an opulence about a Mercedes-Benz that I've often found to be quite intoxicating and alluring. Throw on the Hyperscreen that you'd get with the EQE 43, and the interior is as futuristic as you could ask for.

Speaking of opulence, one seldom describes ride quality with such an adjective, but the ride quality of the EQE is superb despite running on massive 21 inch wheels and low profile tyres. Interestingly, the base EQE 350+ AMG Line actually gets air suspension as standard, while the base EQS 450+ AMG Line does not - a puzzling but otherwise unimportant detail as both cars rank as some of the most comfortable vehicles I have tested in awhile, and are right up there with the BMW iX and BMW i7. On rougher city roads that have been abused by layers over layers of road works, the EQE absorbs everything in its path, and on the expressways, the EQE just eats up the road and glides over it with an unnatural but absolutely pleasant sensation.

The EQE is a large car that weighs in at more than 2.4 tonnes, but the drivetrain and chassis do a good job at handling all that heft, offering firm footing that never compromises on comfort. The single asynchronous electric motor in the 350+ packs just 288 bhp and 565 Nm of torque, but achieves its 0-100km/h timing in just 6.4 seconds. These figures aren't great by EV standards, but the EQE does make up for this with 669km of drive range, and will still feel plenty fast for the average consumer - a well balanced combination in my opinion.

Overall, the EQE will win people over with its impressive interior and futuristic body styling - and perhaps more importantly, will appeal to a younger demographic that have amassed enough wealth to make the step up from a C-Class or GLC to something like the EQE. In fact, the base 350+ is priced quite closely to the E200 AMG Line, and we like that it still feels accessible to an extent. Perhaps the most salient conversational point about the EQE though, is that with such similar styling to the EQS, and air suspension ensuring superlative ride quality in the EQE, are there marginal returns to owning an EQS, and therefore is there really any point in buying an EQS anymore? Perhaps. Perhaps not .